Good Old Days draws crowds of fun
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ST. IGNATIUS— Stacy Allard was seven years old when she saw her first Good Old Days parade. Now she shares this tradition with her own children.
“I was your age when I first came to the parade,” Allard told her seven-year-old daughter Brynn Pule.
Brynn and her brother Sawyer, 4, were just two of the many children, delighted by parade floats of all categories that threw candy to the waiting crowds. The parade was just one of many events held in celebration of St. Ignatius’ 29th Annual Good Old Days.
The fun began on Friday evening with a barbecue, concert and fireworks show. Saturday featured the 29th annual Buffalo Run half marathon in the morning and
the “largest parade in Lake County” at noon.
A “Gospel Sing” and potluck at 6 p.m. ended the three-day celebration on Sunday. Cooks were up bright and early at the St. Ignatius Airport for the Good Old Days fly-in, where a huckleberry pancake breakfast was served from 8 a.m. to noon.
The parade, which usually draws the biggest crowds to the event, seems to get bigger and better every year according to organizer Debi McCollum. She estimated there were around 100 parade entries.
After the fire trucks that bring up the rear of the parade doused the crowds with water, many people walked down to the Good Old Days Park to watch and participate in the dog races and the tug-o-war contests.
Dee Dee Birthmark entered her Pomeranian Pug “Cesar” in the dog races and to her surprise won the small dog event.
“The first time he took off looking for me,” Birthmark said. “So I didn’t expect to win. I usually have a dog in the race each year.”
After taking care of parade business, McCollum said she was going to wander down the park as well.
“Later on I think I may be in the tug-o-war event. Hopefully I don’t end up in the mud,” she said.
This year, losers in the tug-o-war competitions were pulled into the mud. The event was popular and drew a large crowd as teams tried to avoid the muddy pit.
For those who wanted to remain dry and mud-free there were several vendors selling wares such as tie-dyed shirts for the Make a Wish foundation and a fishing booth helping out the Boys and Girls Club. There was also a trout pond and inflatable slides and playhouses for children.
“My two girls were up at the crack of dawn,” Jennifer Brander of St. Ignatius said as she held the family’s 13-week Daschund puppy Lily, who participated in the dog races.
“The parade is my favorite part of Good Old Days,” she said as she made her way to the mud pit to watch the competitions there. “(But) mud plus kids is pretty fun.”
Parade Division Winners
Animal Drawn Vehicle
1st — Kyla Hendrickson
Antique Car
1st — Bud Castor
2nd — Wayne Warren
Clubs/Organization/Group
1st — Umphery Family
2nd — Krantz Family Reunion
3rd — Class of ‘51
Commercial
1st — Rod’s Food Harvest/Lake Co. Bank
2nd — Mtn. View Cenex
3rd — Hunts Timber
Adult Horse Rider
1st — Roy Vallejo
2nd — Chuck Ripley/Barbara Garrigus
3rd —Deb Sesion
Modern Car
1st — Gary Meili
2nd — Lakota Matt
Custom Car
1st — Robert Hunt
2nd — Tracy Hunt
Novelty/Humorous
1st — Larry Randall
2nd —Rachel and Judy
3rd — Donya Posturino
Stock Car
1st — Mike Burke
2nd — Geraldine Linsebigler
Youth/12 & Under
1st — JoLynn and Jessie Girsch/Ciara Bridges
2nd — Troy Matt
Farm Equipment
1st —Dan Job
2nd — Dennis Black
3rd — Terry Andres
Overall
1st. — Mtn. View Cenex
Dog Races
Small
1st DeeDee Birthmark, Cesar 4.3 seconds
2nd. Teri Morin, Sissy 5.48 seconds
3rd Hannah Morin, Todd 6.38 seconds
Medium
1st Jessie Melton, Brandy 3.79 seconds
2nd Nikko and Paden Alexander, Chica 3.82 seconds
3rd Holly Porter, Jill 5.06 seconds
Large
1st Hunter and Madison Peterson, Geiko 2.78 seconds
2nd Jamie Mullins, Cody 3.3 seconds
3rd Rhea Ashmore, Maci Jones 3.6 secons
Overall
Geiko
